Top tech of the month: the best new gadgets we've tested for July 2026
From a tiny-but-mighty handheld fan to a speaker that delivers 'thunderous power', here are the gadgets that impressed us most this month.
Another month; another bumper crop of great tech. Over the past four weeks, we've tested dozens of new gadgets and appliances, and between our editors, testing team, and trusted freelancers, we've awarded 21 products 4.5- or 5-star ratings. I've rounded them all up below, for easy browsing — hit the 'View details' button for a summary of each one's main pros and cons, plus a link to read the full review.
In the full-marks camp, we have the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool, a tiny-but-mighty handheld fan that provides up to 6.5 hours of cooling per charge, and might have just saved our Home editor's sanity during our recent UK heatwave. There's also the JBL Xtreme 5, a beast of a Bluetooth speaker that delivers, according to our tester, "mesmerizing bass, impressive clarity, and thunderous power". Finally, we were blown away by the Philips Café Aromis espresso machine, which "doesn’t just brew excellent coffee — it makes the process fun as well". Plus, it doesn't require barista-level experience to deliver professional-quality brews.
Scroll down for more winners from this month, across all our physical product categories, including everything from flawless cameras to standout earbuds to top TVs. Note: only the products that are available in your region will display as cards.
5-star products
Philips
Cafe Aromis 8000 Series Bean to Cup Coffee Machine
Pros
- Gorgeous design
- All components feel solidly made
- Consistent brewing results
- Prepares hot and cold drinks
- Detailed customization options
- Excellent mobile app experience
Cons
- Ground coffee hatch has a tendency to steam up
- Needs to cool down completely before preparing cold drinks
Dyson
HushJet Mini Cool Fan
Pros
- Powerful concentrated airflow
- Runs for up to 6.5 hours on a single charge
- Stylish, unusual design
- Significantly cheaper than closest competitor
Cons
- Air intake holes are easy to cover with your hand when holding
JBL
Xtreme 5 Bluetooth speaker
Pros
- Amazing audio with exceptional bass output
- Impressive clarity and detail, especially using USB-C
- Phenomenally sturdy and waterproof
- Great value despite fairly high price
Cons
- Bulkier than its predecessor
- No mic for hands-free calls
- Battery life isn’t class-leading
4.5-star products
Insta360
Luna Ultra vlogging camera
Pros
- Clever detachable touchscreen simplifies and expands solo vlogging possibilities
- Two lenses with two distinct perspectives boost versatility
- Crisp video quality and attractive color profiles
- Excellent audio features and supporting accessories
Cons
- Larger than DJI rivals
- Vertical video capped at 3K
- Subject tracking performance could be refined
- Much pricier than single-lens alternatives
Dyson
Find+Follow Purifier Cool fan
Pros
- Premium performance and feature-packed
- Impressive 350-degree oscillation
- Quiet operation and smooth airflow
- Control it with the remote, app, or your voice
Cons
- There are cheaper alternatives
- No vertical oscillation adjustment
- Only one colorway: white & gold
Ninja
AutoBarista Pro Fully Automatic Espresso Machine
Pros
- Makes coffee and espresso beverages to your specifications
- Very easy to use
- Grind iQ takes the guesswork out of your settings
- Create up to two user profiles
- Two separate bean hoppers
- Chute for pre-ground coffee
Cons
- Fairly expensive
- Big and heavy
- Coffee isn't super hot
- You have to do regular maintenance
Meraki
Espresso Machine Gen 2
Pros
- Stunning, pro-looking design
- High-end, sturdy accessories
- Smart features augment but don’t replace manual coffee making
- Extracts delicious, consistent coffee
Cons
- Undeniably expensive for a manual machine
- CoffeeSense only useful for Meraki beans
Ninja
French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven
Pros
- 10 cooking modes cover just about any needs
- Fast and easy to use
- Glass doors so you can keep an eye on your food
- Very fast preheating
Cons
- You do need to watch your food
- Fairly pricey
Panasonic
Lumix L10 compact camera
Pros
- No shortage of features
- Comfortable handling
- Good overall image quality
Cons
- Slightly aggressive noise reduction
- A bit on the 'plasticky' side
- Price a little too high
Leica
SL3-P mirrorless camera
Pros
- Outstanding image quality
- Exceptional build quality and styling
- Handy top-plate display
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- Very expensive
- Tilt-only rear screen
- Heavy with a serious lens mounted
LG
B6 OLED TV
Pros
- Brighter, bolder picture than the B5
- Excellent gaming features
- webOS 26 is a great smart TV platform
Cons
- Green tint more of an issue than on B5
- Average sound quality
- LG C6 is a bigger upgrade and isn't much more expensive
Khadas
Tea Pro Magnetic Headphone Amplifier
Pros
- Premium look and feel
- Wide compatibility
- Compelling audio
Cons
- A little fiddly
- Display text is tiny
PowerA
Protection Case for PS Portal
Pros
- Highly durable exterior
- Padded screen-protector provides peace of mind
- Cable passthrough feature for easy charging
Cons
- Handle could be higher quality
- May be a touch bulky for some
UGreen
Qi2 25W wireless power bank
Pros
- Reliable performance
- Great build quality
- Integrated cable and USB-C port add flexibility
Cons
- Can get a little hot
- Price may be a turn-off
Motorola
Edge 70 Fusion
Pros
- Fantastic-looking screen
- Premium design
- Giant, long-lasting battery
Cons
- Bluetooth woes
- Some software issues
- Only three years of updates
Anker
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds
Pros
- Strong noise cancellation
- Rock-solid fit
- Fun, bassy sound
Cons
- Charging case on the bulky side
- Could do with a discount
- Touchscreen can be unresponsive
Shokz
OpenDots 2 open-ear buds
Pros
- Powerful, bassy sound
- Good battery life
- Stable enough for runners
- Customizable EQ modes
Cons
- Prone to dislodging on contact
- Expensive
- Not suitable for helix piercings
Denon
Home 400 speaker
Pros
- Great app support for control and multi-room audio
- + Customizable sound modes that reveal layers in spatial audio mixes
- Premium build quality
Cons
- Expensive for a single speaker
- Full spatial experience depends on well-encoded Atmos source material
- No Alexa or Google Assistant
Apple
AirPods Max 2 headphones
Pros
- Even better active noise cancellation
- Live Translation that's easier to use than on Apple's earbuds
- Adaptive Audio means meatier, punchier sound than the originals
- Even head-tracked Spatial Audio feels more accurate and crisp
Cons
- Battery life hasn't been improved
- That flimsy 'headphone bra' case remains
- Still very iOS-only (Android owners need not apply)
- No wireless hi-res codec support still
Sonos
Era 100 SL wireless speaker
Pros
- Precise, detailed sound
- Bass seems less muddy
- Same strong design as Era 100
- More affordable
Cons
- Room correction not Android-compatible
- Unimpressive stereo
- No voice control
Klipsch
The Nines II speakers
Pros
- Immersive and full sound
- Lots of connectivity
- Wi-Fi streaming
Cons
- Issues with Dirac Live
- Weight can make setup cumbersome
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